An Interactive Essay on Standardized Testing

The Wrong Turn on the Road of Reform

Written and Presented by Tristan David Havelick

This is an Interactive Essay. This means that from the Table of Contents you can link to any part of the paper that intrests you. Since most of my evidence came from sources from around the internet, if you click a source within the essay, it will jump to that source in my bibliography. In the bibliography, clicking an entry will bring you to that source, if possible. If you have concerns about non-web sources, please go to the contact the author page, and I will be happy to send you a copy of the original source. Although you can skip parts of my essay, please take the time to read the entire thing. I worked very hard on it, and I want at least some who matters to take a look at it

Table of Contents

• i. How this essay works (this page)

• Part I: The Introduction
  • Remeberance
  • History
  • The Argument

• Part II: The Inaccuracy of Standardized Tests
  • Design Flaws
  • The Altering of Curriculum
  • Widespread Cheating
  • The Security Problem

• Part III: How Standardized Tests Fail to Help Students Learn
  • Results Do Not Help Teachers Help Individuals
  • Inability to Test Current Topics
  • Testing the Only Minimum

• Part IV: Testing Time Hinders Learning

• Part V: Hope on the Horizon
  • Peformance Tests
  • Incentive Cards

  • Colleges

• Part VI: The Conclusion

• Appendix A: Works Cited

• Appendix B: Contacting the Author